First Gloves: Lance Parrish

My first impression of Lance Parrish is that he was a bit unlucky. I’m not sure that’s right, though, so we’re all going to go on a little exploration together.

First, since one of Parrish’s two calling cards was his defense, let’s show his signature glove, a gorgeous Rawlings model.

That glove, along with the ability to hit baseballs over outfield walls, kept Parrish in the big leagues for 19 seasons. He was an eight-time All-Star and won three Gold Gloves, bashed 324 homers, got MVP votes three times, and won a World Series ring in 1984 with the Tigers. Depending on which WAR calculation you prefer, he finished his career with 39.5 or 43.4 WAR, and both figures are really good, especially among catchers who lose playing time just to rest.

Nothing seems too unlucky about all of that, so let me explain what I mean.